Asphalt pavers include a hopper for receiving paving material and a conveyor system for transferring the paving material from the hopper for discharge on the roadbed. Screw augers spread the material on the roadbed in front of a floating screed, which is connected to the paving machine by pivoting tow or draft arms. The screed functions to format and compact the paving material distributed by the augers, ideally leaving the finished road with a uniform, smooth surface.
It is important that the temperature of the screed is accurately controlled to an optimum temperature for "working" the paving material. If the screed temperature is controlled too low, then the paving material may adhere to the screed or be hard to work. But, if the screed temperature is controlled too high, the screed may warp or the paving material may be damaged. Traditionally, temperature control of an asphalt paver screed is done manually, wherein a plurality of burners must be individually lit manually and monitored manually. This is a time consuming process, and oftentimes does not produce accurate temperature control. It is thus desirable to accurately control the screed temperature in an automatic fashion so that overheating or underheating does not occur.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.